


for you, i would cross the world

by inmyhead404



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Affection, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Road Trip, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not Beta Read, POV switch, Requited Unrequited Love, Spring Break, kinda like a string of connected one shots, loosely plot based, the homies can cuddle, this fic is really hard to tag
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-15 19:41:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28694115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inmyhead404/pseuds/inmyhead404
Summary: The air in Orlando felt so condensed, so-- so suffocating, and sometimes Dream felt like he couldn’t be around George without his heart wanting to beat through his chest. Back home, it was because he knew he’d never be able to reach out and touch him like he just did, playful or not. There was too much truth packed behind some things. Dream’s touches were loaded with honesty, and if his mother or kids at school took one second to analyze it, he would be screwed.Here, practically just the two of them, things were different. He could breathe. He could reach out to George as much as he wanted-- maybe hold his soft porcelain hands, or run his thumbs down the curve of his plush cheeks, or push the hair out of his eyes. Maybe Dream didn’t even want to fall asleep.--dream, george, karl and sapnap embark on a road trip their senior year of high school. hidden and obvious feelings come to the surface.
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Karl Jacobs/Sapnap
Comments: 20
Kudos: 73





	1. missouri isn't misery with you

**Author's Note:**

> hi!! this is going to be my first multichapter fic for this fandom, but it's not going to be very plot-heavy, and each chapter is going to switch between pairings. hopefully i can produce consistent updates and hopefully you enjoy!! 
> 
> (also: i don't ship the real people, i'm using their personas as a way to fuel my own creativity. be nice)

It had been a long, long night.

Road trips, no matter how much of a blast they might seem in the planning stages, were draining. Sapnap and Karl, who were the first drive, both passed out as soon as they got into the backseats, only entering consciousness to announce they were hungry or needed a piss. George, who couldn’t drive, was trying his best to stay awake. Dream noticed every time their conversation lulled that his head would jerk forwards, and he’d rub his eyes obsessively and would take another gulp of his soda, then would initiate a new topic to talk about. 

Dream wasn’t doing any better, though. It was the dead of night, he’d been awake longer than he ever had in his life, and they were in the middle of nowhere in Missouri. It would’ve been so easy to just close his eyes and drift asleep-- his eyelids weighed a million pounds, and it was oh so warm in his mother’s Toyota. If it wasn’t so quiet, maybe it would’ve been better, but they were trying to be considerate to Karl and Sapnap. 

The only real sounds were the churn of the wheels on the bumpy roads and George’s whispers, which were driving Dream crazy. They didn’t contain anything of importance, just things he thought about randomly, like how he really wanted a cup of coffee, or admitting how long he believed in Santa. Dream couldn’t believe the hold George had on him. Those nonsensical ramblings were keeping him both afloat and conscious but also desperate to be put asleep, with his voice like music roaming in his ears. He’d be lying if he said George’s voice wasn’t his favorite thing in the world.

It became more of an issue when George started humming a song. Karl had played it on loop for a while earlier that day:  _ Pretty Girl _ by Clairo. George, now, was humming it, low enough so that it didn’t leave the front seats. He was looking out the window, his cheek resting on the palm of his hands, and Dream could only clearly see passing glances of him because of the headlights of oncoming cars. So easily, he could pretend like it was only the two of them. It was just them, him and his-- _ what were they? _ \-- best friend, a thought so comforting it wrapped him in another level of warmth. This, and the low vibrations falling from George’s mouth, made him edge even closer to sleep, which was a dangerous thought.

“George,” Dream suddenly whispered, startling his friend. “I don’t think I can keep driving anymore.”

“Oh, um…” George looked over his shoulder to see Karl and Sapnap. They were dead asleep. “Do you want me to wake one of them? Or, or I could--”

“I think we’d have a better chance of living if I continued driving right now than if you drove,” he jabbed, feeling a sense of pride when he saw George smile and roll his eyes. Dream glanced at his friends, as well, before turning back to the road. “D’you mind if I pull over somewhere?”

Why he was asking George, he didn’t know. They were trying to reach Portland within the next two days, which meant driving all day and all night, as some sort of last horah for their last spring break spent together before all going to different colleges. Karl’s sister lived there, and offered them all a free place to stay. George was just along for the ride-- and yet Dream asked him that question like he was the commander of everything.

“Not here, right? Like somewhere secluded?” he asked.

“Of course. I wouldn’t never put you in harm's way, Georgie.” And if he could see the color of George’s cheeks, Dream knew they’d be bright pink.

After ten minutes, they found a rest stop. The parking lot was abandoned, and the visitor’s center’s lights were shut off. The highway disappeared behind a line of trees, but every so often they could hear a faint  _ woosh _ of cars driving past. George hopped out of the car first; his fingers bridged together as he stretched out his arms over his head, arching his back to get the best reach possible. “God, that feels good,” he let out, finally at a normal speaking voice, as Dream exited the car, as well.

For a few minutes, they just stood around, their legs coming back to life. Dream leaned against the car and texted his mom as George went to the bathroom, and vice versa, both too paranoid to leave the car on its own. They pondered how deep of sleepers their friends were, George saying it was “quite remarkable,” and Dream giving into his urge to poke his sides playfully as he mimicked his accent.

It was nice, really. The air in Orlando felt so condensed, so-- so  _ suffocating _ , and sometimes Dream felt like he couldn’t be around George without his heart wanting to beat through his chest. Back home, it was because he knew he’d never be able to reach out and touch him like he just did, playful or not. There was too much truth packed behind some things. Dream’s touches were  _ loaded _ with honesty, and if his mother or kids at school took one second to analyze it, he would be screwed.

Here, practically just the two of them, things were different. He could breathe. He could reach out to George as much as he wanted-- maybe hold his soft porcelain hands, or run his thumbs down the curve of his plush cheeks, or push the hair out of his eyes. Maybe Dream didn’t even want to fall asleep.

George yawned, though, loud enough to break him out of his trance. “I don’t really want to sleep in that car,” he admitted. “I’m kinda sick of it.”

“I’m sick of the  _ smell _ . Sapnap’s rancid.” He watched George let out a small giggle, that feeling swirling in his chest. “I don’t know if you’d be up for it, but-- we could nap for like, an hour or two on the grass? I’m sure they’d be awake by then. And it’d be nice to just… be outside for a while.”

He watched George consider it. Dream knew what was probably going through his head, that this suggestion left them incredibly vulnerable to either animal attacks or a strange individual stumbling upon them. George’s mom had made him promise to be as safe as possible--he literally had to swear on the Bible--and sleeping outside in the middle of Missouri might’ve been breaking that oath.

“That might work,” he said, slowly. Dream, surprised, grinned at him, and was awarded with the same expression.

He walked to the passenger door and opened it, stealing the blanket George had been using during the drive and the pillow he’d been using for back support. Everything else was crammed in the back, or being used by Karl and Sapnap. In a grassy spot in front of their vehicle, Dream dropped the pillow and plopped down next to it.

George chewed on his lip, looking over his shoulder towards the highway before joining him. The blanket was thrown over them, shielding them from the chilly April air.

“An hour, right?” George asked. He was hugging his knees, watching with mesmerizing eyes as Dream pulled his phone out of his pocket.

The blonde set up a timer, making sure to exaggerate pressing the  _ start _ button. Dream laid down onto the pillow, his arm extending out like an invitation. George hesitated, as he always does, before he melted into his chest. Dream’s hands held his waist close, as George’s went around his core.

They’d been here before. Not geographically, of course, as Dream had never been west of the Mississippi before in his life. But  _ here _ \-- stolen moments of affection, big or small, hand holds or cuddling, forehead touches or a closeness he had never really been able to say out loud. Not because the core idea scared him, but because the thought of what would happen if he talked about it with George did.

Dream wasn’t going to risk their friendship for a five month escapade. George was going to MIT in the fall and Dream was staying in Orlando and going to the school his parents went to. And even though George had promised he’d come home whenever he could, Dream knew that didn’t mean  _ his _ George would come back. It’d be this new George. Because he  _ would _ change, they both would, and nothing was going to be the same.

He wanted to savor what they had. If that meant spending day after day with him, laughing yet yearning, Dream thought it was worth it.

“I’ve never seen so many stars before,” George whispered. Dream’s hand on his back started to move in a gentle pattern. “Back in London you could hardly see any. And Orlando-- you know how it is there.”

He made a noise of agreement. “I do. If you wanted to see the stars closer to home, I could’ve taken you camping. There’s this spot my dad and I used to go to every summer before I got too old and whiny. I could take you there.”

“But I’m old and whiny.” Dream could feel George’s smile on his chest. “Maybe we could do it this summer. Just the two of us.”

His heart swelled at his friend’s last sentence, the little addition holding so much weight.  _ The two of them _ . The thought was an even mixture between anxiety enducing and alluring. “I’d love that,” Dream responded, and maybe his words seeped too much affection into the air.

George shifted to look up at him, his chin digging into Dream’s sternum. He wished there was a bit more light, because without it he received all the tensness of George’s stare without any reward. Soon, he felt fingers on his cheekbone. Light and delicate, he relaxed into the feeling.

If he had no sense at all, Dream would kiss George, right then and there. And if he had a stupid amount of confidence, he’d try to have  _ the _ conversation with him. Both options led to uncertainty.

So, Dream closed his eyes, his head supported by the pillow, his cheek being stroked by George’s thumb. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but George started to hum again. It was crazy, really, how quickly Dream decided that  _ Pretty Girl _ was now his favorite song.

It wasn’t long until his alarm was blasting in his ears. His eyes snapped open as he felt George stir on his chest, his head groggy and aching from the sudden interruption. “Fuck,” Dream complained, turning the alarm off.

“Don’t move,” George groaned, burying his face into Dream’s chest more, his hands pulling his body in more. “I’m so tired,” he cried out more.

“We can sleep in the car.” The idea was miserable, just being back in that vehicle, but he knew they had to move soon or they’d both fall back asleep. “C’mon, George. I promised you it’d just be an hour.”

His friend let out a whine. “I don’t care.”

It took all of Dream’s mental willpower to move George off of him, immediately missing the extra warmth he and the blanket that had traveled with him had provided. The air had grown colder since they had laid down an hour ago, and Dream felt a shiver run up and down his full body.

He stood up first and looked down at George expectantly. “I will move you if you don’t do it yourself,” Dream threatened lightly.

At this, George just curled into himself more. “Bet you’d like that,” he murmured, probably too far gone to even notice the subtle innuendo. 

Dream really didn’t want to have to lift his friend to his feet, his own head screaming at him for more rest. Still, in a swift movement, his hands curled under George’s shoulder and his legs, easily lifting him into a bridal carry. He was quite light, something Dream used to his advantage. “Are you awake now?”

“ _ Dream _ !” George shouted. “Put me down! Dream!”

“Alright, alright, I will.” Dream was giggling as he lowered George to the floor, and felt his hands clasp around his neck for a few passing moments before slipping away. It was still enough to make him burn. “You’re so easy to rile up, George.”

He rolled his eyes. Even with minimal light, Dream could tell he put extra effort into the motion. “Shut up, Dream. You better hope I can fall back asleep in the car, or I’m going to be bothering you the whole time.”

“My nightmare.” That wasn’t true in the slightest.

Dream picked up the pillow and blanket and the two of them made the tiny trek back to their vehicle. The parking lot was still abandoned-- it was like no time had passed at all. When the car door opened, Karl and Sapnap were watching a movie on Sapnap’s phone, their heads pressed together to see the screen fully.

“How long have you guys been awake?” Dream asked. He threw the items in his hand near Karl’s feet.

  
“Long enough.” Sapnap gave a smug shrug; Dream shot him a stern look. “L-long enough to get invested in this movie.”

“We were going to wake you,” Karl started speaking, not looking up from the screen, “but we didn’t. You need your beauty rest, Dream.”

“Uh-huh. Get in the front, both of you. George and I need to sleep more.”

The phrasing made him cringe internally, and nobody except Sapnap seemed to notice. After a complaint from Karl, who wanted to argue that he and Sapnap needed to finish their movie, everyone settled into their spots. Sapnap in the driver’s seat, Karl in the passenger, Dream right behind him, and George in the middle seat. “You’re better than a pillow,” he had explained, his legs folding onto the seat, clinging onto Dream’s arm and shutting his eyes. 

George got a lot of sleep that morning.

Dream, who woke up after two hours and became obsessed with the way the rising sun had highlighted his friend’s face, didn’t.


	2. karl and sapnap: (not) lost in nebraska

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaah thank u everyone for the support on the first chapter! it means a lot and i hope this chapter is just as good. this one is centered around karlnap, so i hope u enjoy!

“I think you’re really gonna like her,” Karl rambled, his hands itching to move but stayed on the steering wheel. They were just leaving Missouri and entering into Nebraska when the topic of his sister came up,  _ again _ . “You have nothing to be worried about.”

Sapnap shifted in his seat, looking behind him to see if Dream was listening. He didn’t seem to be, too preoccupied with whatever was playing in his earbuds and staring at the drooling boy on his shoulder. Still, the thought of Dream eavesdropping irked him. Sapnap wasn’t nervous, and he didn’t want his friend to think that. “I’m not worried about anything, Karl.”

“ _ Okay _ ,” Karl said, mocking him with his tone. “It’s fine if you are, though. My sister can make or break our relationship.”

“Huh?” Sapnap’s mind must’ve been fried. He couldn’t have heard that right. “Our what?”

His friend must not have realized the connotation of his word choice, as he continued speeding through his sentences. Karl was jittery, on his second Monster of the day, claiming it helped him be a better driver. “If she meets you and then calls my mom and tells her all the rude and disrespectful things you say, my mama isn’t ever letting me hang out with you again.”

“I-- do  _ not _ say--” God, Sapnap’s face felt hot. “Are you sure you aren’t talking about George?”

“George has never said anything bad in his life.” Karl had a wicked smile on his face and erupted into giggles when he glanced at Sapnap. “Jeeesus, calm down, you nimrod. She’s gonna love you... and Dream, and George.” 

“Okay, good.”

Karl didn’t miss a beat before taking one hand off the wheel to lightly punch Sapnap in the arm. “I  _ knew _ you were nervous.” A middle finger was pushed into the older boy’s face, which was unwavering as the seconds passed. “If you keep that up, I’m crashing this car.”

“Do it. You won’t,” Sapnap egged. As early as it was, there was something about being around Karl that just lit his soul on fire-- in a competitive, energetic way. Nothing more. He was ready to bring his second hand into it when he felt something kick his seat, and both arms were resting, now. “Is this abuse Sapnap day, or something? What’s wrong with you, Dream?”

Again, he looked at Dream. One arm was around George’s shoulder, holding him closely as the boy was in a deep sleep. The other was holding his own head up, and even though the image was quite sweet, the expression on Dream’s face was not. “You are very  _ loud _ and  _ annoying _ and I will kick your ass if--”

“Oh, whatever, Dream. I’ll quiet down to keep your little  _ Gogy _ asleep.” This time, Sapnap felt a sting above his brow as Dream was able to flick his skin.

At some point during this trip, Sapnap was convinced that Dream was going to put him into a headlock. Maybe it’d happen because of his constant urge to get a rise out of him, or because of his refusal to drive that led to a (light-hearted) argument. Probably, though, it was going to be because of George. With every comment and every little look, Sapnap was pushing Dream further to his breaking point. 

It was no surprise to Sapnap when his friend approached him with a confession. It was a few days before they left Orlando when Dream, randomly during history, leaned over to Sapnap and whispered, “I think I’m in love with George.” He didn’t even bother asking for confirmation, because he had eyes that processed information.

The two were clingy. He noticed that they passed notes,  _ physical notes _ , in math class, when they could just text each other. Sapnap noticed that when their group went out together, they always had to be standing side to side. And he’d be dumb if he didn’t notice the tension behind their constant stares and how they just seemed to be more relaxed when they were touching. Dream and George were sickening, honestly, so of course it wasn’t shocking.

Sapnap just hoped Dream was too caught up in his own feelings to notice anything about him.

He wasn’t in love, though, so it was different. Definitely different.

Karl reached over to tap Sapnap’s thigh, signaling him to look in his direction. He maintained his view on the road with the corner of his eyes by mouthing, “ _ He’s so grumpy _ .”

And Sapnap had to stifle giggles. Maybe being on the road was more exhausting than he recognized, because it shouldn’t have been that funny. Or, maybe Karl just made everything funny. Which was true. Karl made everything funny, made everything seem optimistic, made Sapnap feel brighter and lighter. 

Still not in love.

George woke up a few miles before they entered Lincoln, Nebraska. Sapnap heard his groan as his stretched, and the endearment leaking through Dream’s voice as he heard a small, “Hi.” Karl jumped at the chance to take the nearest exit, praising the gods as he did. “ _ Finally _ . I have to pee so bad.”

“That doesn’t have anything to do with me,” George’s words slurred together has he was still gaining consciousness. He was still snuggled into Dream’s chest; Sapnap ignored the empty sensation in his chest.

“It would’ve woken you up, though, and Dream was all ‘ _ Let George sleep, or I’ll castrate you and leave you in Missouri _ .’ Like you’re even driving.”

“You’re such a liar, Karl,” Dream complained. “I never said you couldn’t pee. I  _ said _ we shouldn’t go to a Walmart at four in the morning because you didn’t bring a certain video game.”

The driver let out an offended, exaggerated gasp. “Is it a crime to want to play Kingdom Hearts? Is it? Because I don’t think it is.”

Dream began his rebuttal, opening his mouth and taking in a large amount of air, when George made a complaining groan. Sapnap saw the exact moment his mood went from brash and thorny to soft and worrisome. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” he rushed, earnestly looking down at the boy.

Watching the two of them interact brewed a certain feeling in Sapnap’s gut. They were so touchy, more so than they were at home. He knew of Dream’s conundrum of being too scared to solidify a relationship with George, but they were  _ practically there _ . He wondered what that felt like: to be able to reach out to someone, to hold and be held, to know you are adored without having to be told. He wondered if it felt good, or more confusing than anything else.

Sapnap glanced at Karl. 

His gaze lasted a bit too long, but the boy didn’t seem to notice.

George, unsurprisingly, was starving. Karl rejoiced, and somehow managed to further his spat with Dream, saying that, “If I had pulled over any sooner, our little Georgie wouldn’t be complaining right now, but  _ noo _ , you had to threaten my life--”

They pulled into a gas station that shared a parking lot with a McDonald’s. So early in the morning, there were surprisingly more cars than Sapnap would’ve expected, with out of eight gas pumps, six were being used. They snaked a free one, luckily, and all four boys hopped out of the car. Dream had helped George out, their hands intertwined for a moment, before the commotion of the world had caught up to them, and they put a few spaces in between each other.

Dream cleared his throat and walked up to Sapnap. “Wanna grab some food?”

He rolled his eyes. His friends were ridiculous. “I have to piss, Dream.”

“Well, you can pee  _ in _ the McDonald’s bathroom while Karl and George fill up on gas.”

“I have to pee, too!” Karl complained. He had already started filling the tank. “And George doesn’t even know how to fill up the car. Dream, just stay here and supervise your baby.”

There was silence. Dream’s cheeks were a furiously deep shade of pink.

“Your  _ car _ ! Your car. Your car is your baby! Sapnap,” Karl blurted. His face was just as red, his eyes wide out of embarrassment. “Let’s go, yeah? Text us your orders.”

He basically spirnted towards the red and yellow structure. When Sapnap caught up to him, they were out of view of the car, and Karl took a moment to bury his head in his hands in a fit of laughter before entering McDonald’s. “Oh my god,” he said, his voice muffled. “Did you see his  _ face _ ?”

Karl brought his hands up and through his hair. The light curls bounced on his forehead as they were released, and in the rising sun, Sapnap thought they looked almost golden. “Yeah,” he said, eagerly continuing, “You better be careful, Karl. He might leave you here. He might leave  _ me _ here if he finds out I told you.”

“Oh, but that sounds fun.  _ Karl and Sapnap: Lost in Nebraska _ . We’d have our own little comic book adventure.” His hands framed the pretend words in the air as he spoke. 

Karl, Sapnap thought, was a nerd. In the most endearing, goofy way. He loved it.

“Just go inside, loser,” Sapnap huffed, smiling as he started walking once more. 

It took just ten minutes for both of them to use the restroom and to order then receive their food. Only one of them, George, ordered breakfast food; the rest of them would be eating processed hamburger meat and salty fries. Karl made a show of shoving a bunch of ketchup packets into his pockets while they waited, and it was stupid, and it should’ve been embarrassing, but Sapnap couldn’t stop  _ laughing _ . They were ketchup packets, for God’s sake, they weren’t stealing from the register.

It was Karl.  _ Fuck _ , it was Karl.

Sapnap carried their bags of food back to the car while Karl carried their drinks: coffee for George, Fanta for Dream, and the remaining two were Sprites. Their friends had already buckled into the backseats. This time, the middle seat was reserved to pull down the cup holders, which Sapnap knew would be pushed back up before Lincoln, Nebraska was even a faint memory.

He hopped into the driver’s seat, and Karl sat next to him. Sapnap got them back onto the highway before he started chewing on his burger, an action his old driver’s education teacher would’ve scolded him for. He was ready to dig into the bag to grab fries, as well, when Karl yoinked it out of his reach. “What the hell?” he shouted.

“You can’t look for fries and  _ drive _ . I’ll hand them to you,” Karl explained.

“And get your grimy hands all over my fries?”

Karl’s lips pressed into a tight smile. “Mm.. yup!”

Sapnap didn’t even argue. Karl would press a few fries into his hands every other minute, each time his fingertips unintentionally gliding on Sapnap’s palm as their hands drew back. It made him think about Dream and George again. Did it feel like that, just a million times more intense?

He looked over at Karl, the boy who was silly and goofy and his best friend, and guessed that it did.


End file.
